Fruit-picker.



J. D. HOUGK.

FRUIT PIGKER: APPLICATION FILED we. 17,1908.

Patented May 11, 1909.

Wiinmu JOHN D. HOUSE, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

FRUIT-PICKER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1909.

Application filed August 17, 1968. Serial No. 448,8 5.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN D. Honoii, a citizen of the United States,residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Fruit-Pickers; and I dohereby declare the following to be full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, h as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same. reference being had to theaccompanying "awings, and to the letters and figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

rhis invention relates to new and useful improvements in fruit pickingdevices, and

comprises two blades which are pivoted to gether and provided each witha concaved cutting ed e adapted to have a shearing contact. each bladecarrying an adjustable fruit clamping jaivadapted to form means forholding the stem alter the latter has been sci'ered, the shank portionsof the blades being provided with guards, whereby the hand of theoperator may be securely held from contact with the blade.

More specifically, the invention comprises two coinplemental bladeswhich are pivoted together and each provided with a handle, spring beingwound about the pivotal point, and in the provision of a hollow recessedcap fitted over the coil of the spring and held securely in place bymeans of a jam nut, the arms of the spring passing through and held inthe recesses of the cap and also by flanges upon the handles of theblades.

The invention comprises various details of construction and combinationsand arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described andthen specifically defined in the appended claim.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which tFigure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fruit cutting and holdingdevice.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the device. Fig. 3

is a sectional view through the pivot and the hollow cap fittedthereover, showing parts of the invention in elevation. Fig. 4 aredetail views showing the cap and the coiled spring held thereby. Fig. 5is an elevation showing the jaws positioned in clamping relation to eachother. Fig. 6 is a sectional View through the cutting blades and theholding jaws, and Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A andA designate two cutting blades, and B- is a pivot on which said bladesare mounted. Each of the blades has a concaved cutting edge C whichshear together in the usual manner employed upon certain pruninginstruments. Mounted upon each of said blades is an adjusting screw D,and E are jaws having serrated edges and each provided with a transverseslot E through which the adjusting screw D passes, and operating meanswhereby said jaws may be held in different adjusted positionsaccordingly as it may be desired to utilize the tool in cutting andholding fruit having different sized stems. Each of said blades isprovided with handle portion designated by letter H, and H is a guardprojecting from each handle upon the outer edge thereof and affordsmeans whereby the thumb and fingers of an opei ator grasping the handlesmay be held from sliding upon the blades, when an endwise pressure isapplied to the instrument. Each of said handles is provided with aflange. designated by letter K, and shown clearly in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, corresponding ends of said flanges forming the guards Hdescribed.

rrresilient. wire designated by letter N is turned to form a coil Nwhich fits over the pivot B, and O is a hollow cap having recesses 0formed in the cylindrical wall thereof, said recesses being for thereception of the arms N of said wire, as shown clearly in Fig. 3 of thedrawings. Each of said arms N extends nearly the length of the flange Kwhich holds the same, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. of the drawings.The inner edge of the flange of the cap 0 is adapted to bearfrictionally against the face of the blade Br, and Q. is a jam nut whichis n1ounted upon the threaded end of the pivot B and is adapted to holdthe cap 0 so that the blades will be clamped between the latter and thehead B of the pivot, as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

The operation of my fruit cutting and holding instrument is as follows.The thumb and finger of the operator gripping the two handles may causethe two shearing edges of the blade to come together and sever the stemof the fruit and simultaneously with the cutting of the stem, the latteris gripped and held by the jaws E, the two blades being securely held inshearing relation by means of the cup and the jam nut bearing againstthe same, the arms of the spring serving to throw the cutting edges awayfrom each other after the pressure of the hand thereon is released. Byreason of the guards upon the handles, the hand of the operator isprevented from moving beyond said guards and allows the operator toexert a pushing movement to the instrument Without the hand slipping.

\Vhat I claim is A fruit cutting and holding instrument comprising twojaws pivoted together and provided with concaved cutting edges,adjustable serrated twig holding jaws mounted one upon each of saidcutting jaws, the handle of each cutting jaw being turned into a roll,the ends of each roll formed into curved hooks adapted to bear againstthe opposite edges of the palm of a hand gripping the instrument, aspring coiled about the pivot of the jaws and extending substantiallythe length of the handles and each end of the spring bearing yieldinglyagainst the inner surface of said rolled portion of the handle, a cuphaving diametrically opposite apertures in the flange thereoi extendingpartially the width of the flange and adapted to receive the arms ofsaid spring, as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affiX my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JOHN D. HOUCK. Vitnesses A. L. Honor-r, ROBERT A. BOSWELL.

